1. Field of Invention
This personal automation and shopping system relates to methods and information systems (including hardware, software, communications and peripherals) for automating or improving personal or business productivity, efficiency and goal attainment, and buying and selling of goods and services. To accomplish this integrates, simplifies and democratizes methods, apparatus, and processes from a variety of other related and independent fields, including, but not limited to: barcodes and other machine readable symbologies or identifying means, barcode scanners and other KDED's; inventory control; business processes, human behavior as it relates to the adoption. In summary it improves the integration, ease of use, flexibility, speed, and accuracy of the hardware, software and processes for selecting an item, product or service (hereafter called “item” or “items”), acquiring items, controlling items on hand, using items, and the resulting product usage data from manufacture through final usage.
2. Description of Prior Art
When I invented my distributed personal automation and shopping system all consumers and many business bought commodities at local retailers. Many commonly prepared a handwritten list before shopping for such items, particularly consumables like groceries, office supplies, building supplies, auto parts, gardening supplies, etc.
When this distributed personal automation and shopping system (dPASS) was invented, there were few past systems or knowledge relating to my dPASS. Prior art was limited to industry and retail inventory control and ordering systems operating on point-of-sale systems, larger computerized systems, and a very limited number of portable barcode scanners. Keyless data entry was limited to optical character recognition and barcodes. Barcode printing was very limited capabilities were limited and required specialized knowledge and hardware Automation and distributed processing was limited to low power personal computers and office automation applications. Intercomputer communications was limited to dedicated or leased phone lines or analog modems dialing into the public switched telephone network (PTSN) or plain old telephone service (POTS).
During the building and testing of dPASS I experience numerous delays, because various required supporting systems and incorporated subcomponents were either unavailable, technically inadequate, unreliable and hence didn't satisfactorily solve myriad and complex problem of dPASS such as being distributed, flexible, adaptable, user acceptability, and easy to use, or if they were technically satisfactory, they were too expensive for a standalone or distributed solution, or networked solution. Also during my building and testing a number of subsequent methods, systems and apparatus were developed which tried to address some small aspect of the problems associated with personal automation and productivity, personal and electronic shopping, electronic ordering and delivery. Some incorporated methods, apparatus, and processes I had already invented, but was still testing. None have solved the underlying problems or been commercially acceptable to users, or financially success despite any patents issued or demonstrations of limited technical performance, as evidenced by the commercial failure of all such subsequent systems
Recently, a small percentage of consumers have tried buying products from online retailers using these suppliers' automated or semiautomated buying or replenishment systems. None of these subsequent apparatus, methods, or processes of the intervening past embodies all the features, capabilities, integration, and flexibility of my distributed personal automation and shopping system (dPASS) The following are some of the more noteworthy intervening patents and public disclosures.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,376, issued on Feb. 15, 2000, to John A. Kenney, discloses an interactive electronic shopping system and method which creates a virtual shopping facility from an actual shopping facility, such as a grocery store, store, restaurant or office. A shopper at a computer or other suitable display device can move through the virtual shopping facility and see replicas of what would be seen in moving through the actual shopping facility. While this method enables a customer to shop from home, as well as reduce shopping time and ease or enhance the shopping experience, it's use is very limited as it requires a high bandwidth connection to the Internet and the use of a computer or web based equipment. Additionally, this system requires a person to be located near a computer or area where they have access to the Internet and doesn't allow for the ease of spontaneous, task driven ordering one might expect in a kitchen, which today is often far away from the computer and display device For example: at the office, in the kitchen or at the job site Their invention depends on or is tied to specific vendors and requires the participation of retailers. This invention also requires a substantial investment in equipment and transfer of large amounts of data between the vendor and the consumer across the Internet or other communications network. This invention doesn't enable a user to create or add to their shopping list electronically without a real-time connection to a PC or the internet at the time the product is added to the list,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,974 B1 to Kowawa al. (2001) Method And Apparatus For Automated Selection And Organization Of Products Including Menus
U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,684 to Maurrah (1997) Article Storage Container With Bar Code Scanning
U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,472 issued on Jan. 9, 1996, to Anthony J. Overman, discloses a portable electronic food shopper which is related to a portable electronic list device with calculator functions. It's a menu-driven, shopping list device with price comparison functions and a customized list retained in device memory. The invention is distinguishable, in that it is not a portable electronic list device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,068 to DeLapa et al. Coupon Delivery System
U S. Pat. No. 6,125,352 to Franklin et al. (2000) System And Method For Conducting Commerce Over A Distributed Network
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,610, issued on Dec. 14, 1999, to Theresa Talbott et al., discloses a store specific shopping system method including a map/shopping list bearing written identifications of articles arranged in a pictoral representation corresponding to their display locations in a store. The invention doesn't allows users to create a shopping list at home, free from control by the retailer
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,110 to Green et. al. (1997) Remote Ordering System
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,002 to Ruppert et. al. (1997) Portable RF ID Tag And Barcode Reader
U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,133 to Clyne et. al. (1983) Method For Producing A Bill, Apparatus For Collecting Items, And A Self-Service Shop
U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,845 to Hale et. al. (1987) Portable Personal Terminal For Use In A System For Handling Transactions
U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,513, issued on Oct. 13, 1998, to Timothy O'Hagan et. al. discloses a shopping cart mounted portable data collection device with tethered dataform reader. This is a retail consumer product data collection and information system. This instant invention is distinguishable, in that it allows the user to create a shopping list at home.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,281, issued on Mar. 16, 1999, to Samuel Bernard Smith et. al., discloses a means for creating an electronic grocery list. This device stores, displays and prints grocery list items. The device is a computer which stores names of grocery items according to broad classifications. The device can be used independently or in connection with a printer or via an internet connection for electronic shopping. The instant invention is distinguishable, in that it is not a computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,594 to Leason et al. (1999) Virtual Catalog And Product Presentation Method And Apparatus
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,471 to Hill (1999) Method And Apparatus For Enabling A Selection Of Catalog Items
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,757 to Tracey et al. (1999) Method And System For Presenting Item Information Using A Portable Data Terminal
U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,889 to Whalen, Jr. et al. (2000) Firefighter Accountability Apparatus And Method U.S. Pat. No. 6,123, 259, issued on Sep. 26, 2000, to Nobuo Ogasawara, discloses an electronic shopping system including customer relocation recognition. This shopping system aids customers by saving time and money while shopping. Through the use of a hand-held or mounted terminal the system gives consumers directions on where to locate an item in a particular store based on the customer's current location in the store. Additionally, the device displays suggestions on promotional items that the customer may need to replenish. Unlike the previously listed inventions, this device is provided by a specific retailer and primarily benefits the retailer interests. Additionally, the hardware costs are substantial and limits the product to commercial not home use. Like other inventions, this instant ties users to specific retailers and doesn't allow creation of a shopping list at home independent of the retailer's involvement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,276 to Jelen et a. (2000) Shopping Cart Mounted Portable Data Collection Device With Tethered Dataform Reader
U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,998 B1, issued on Jun. 12, 2001, to Kunihiko, discloses a system and method for home grocery shopping including item categorization for efficient delivery and pick up. This invention is another variation of the increasingly popular internet based home shopping system. It differs in that the software is able to characterize purchased items according to weights and measures, environmental storage and nutritional content such that a customer is able to make effective purchase decisions and is able to prepare appropriate space and environment for receiving the goods. The highlights of this invention satisfy the needs of a consumer looking for home delivery of products and also assists the transportation company in regards to loading and shipping requirements. However, this invention is internet based and is therefore limited in it's functions as listed in the previous internet based home shopping systems. This invention is also severely limited in its usefulness and where it can be used by its dependence on a active Internet connection
U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,773 B1 to Allard et al (2001) Electronic Commerce With Shopping List Builder. This invention is a client/server tool that manages an individualized selection of product offerings, referred to as a “shopping list”. This shopping list tool comprises several components, which enable consumers to peruse inventories that are unmanageably large, which simplify repetitive purchase of consumable and perishable items and which simplify the computer operating tasks associated with electronic shopping. Although this invention seems to handle large inventories quite well, it is still very limited in its use. The user must still be tethered to a computer and a local area network (LAN) or Internet connection. It's not a stand-alone product that can be easily accessed in the room/location you need it. It also doesn't involve the full participation of the consumer, manufacturer and retailer. The product is designed primarily to improve the efficiency of the home shopper as she browses through various shopping sites on the Internet. The product also is limited in that it requires a tremendous amount of manual inputting on the part of the user. Unlike the invention proposed in this patent application which automates the selection process thus greatly reducing input errors and allows for spontaneous decision making This invention is distinguishable, in that it is a device that allows users to create their own shopping lists electronically, that does not require a connection to the internet and it allows data input by a bar code reader device.
None of the prior art inventions, disclose the instant invention claimed The shortcomings in the past systems may result from the inventors' failure to fully and accurately identify all the shopping problems to be solved. The past systems primarily solve the problems of retailers and/or manufacturers with minimal understanding or solution of the consumer's problems, which may result from approaching the problems from a retail or manufacturing background. Since I approached the problem from the consumer's perspective I've been able to identify and solve most of the consumers' problems with product selection, shopping, and inventory management. These unaddressed problems include:                a. Flexibility: People don't like to change. People identify, select, and shop for consumables in a variety of ways, and many people use a variety of methods as their available resources and responsibilities change over time or from one shopping event until the next. Yet all the past systems requires consumers and businesses dramatically change the way they select, shop for, buy, sell or distribute groceries or other consumables; they lack the ability to be used in a variety of ways. They require a revolutionary or dramatic change methods versus the preferred evolutionary change in the way a users currently accomplishes the task, and they don't enable users to identify, select and shop for consumables in whatever fashion is most natural or effective at any given time.        b. Incremental Adoptability: Most people and many businesses—particularly low margin businesses like grocers want to tryout or start using a new system at a very rudimentarily level, at minimal cost before committing their entire operation to the new system. For example, a person new to computers and word processors would want to start by using it to write a single business letter, before committing the time, money, and risks of storing all client/customer information in the computer and then using the word processor's mail merge abilities to generate hundreds of personalized Christmas cards. The past systems ignores this problem and requires users to adopt their entire invention or system in an all-or-nothing approach. They are deficient in their ability to progressively provide more capabilities, personal productivity, and shopping automation at incremental expenditures of time and money; thus are deficient in reducing resistance to buying and using their systems.        c. Selection At Point Of Consumption. While some past systems permits selection at the point of consumption, like the kitchen counter, they fail to address the preceding problems. Also, only a few provide selection any time and any place without a wired or wireless connection to some other device, computer system or network.        d. Vendor and Time Independence, and Privacy. While some consumers do not mind being tied to a single supplier or allowing that supplier access to their personal information, preferences, and habits, most consumers want to maintain more privacy than afforded by the past systems and the freedom to shop at any store they want and at whatever time they want. Most people like the personal freedom and real-time independence from vendors provided by software loaded and running on their PC, hence the failure of thin-clients displaying the output of software running on a remote server or PC's running software stored, rented and downloaded from a remote server each time they want to run an application. Like the automobile—vs a metro bus or subway—the PC and locally stored software provides people with the privacy, freedom, and flexibility they prefer None of the past systems adequately solves these problems.        e. Speed and Rich Environment. Users expect things to happen fast if not instantaneously, they want rich content (i.e. an easily selectable amount of multimedia information: pictures, videos, text, smell, etc-) that can be accessed in a variety of ways. In addition to the above, people like the fast, rich environment provided by Windows or the MAC, various methods of input (mouse, keyboard, voice, barcode reader, scanner, etc.), multimedia output (e g. text, graphics, pictures, sound, video, printouts, removable media, and smell in the future), and its speed All the past systems fails to solve all these problems; some lack the speed, others the independence, some the rich input or output being limited by their small form factors, bandwidth or capabilities (e.g. a PDA, browser, web-enabled cellular phone, etc,)        
Despite this consumer-centric approach, my personal shopping system also solves retail and manufacturing problems and improves their portions of the supply chain. In essence dPASS enhances and improves existing apparatus, processes and methods. It keeps the freedom and flexibility of the existing, fairly efficient retail consumables market and day planner and its associated methods and enhances and augments them in an incrementally adoptable way. No new, expensive, monolithic systems to replace what isn't broken, requiring radical changes methods that work and people are comfortable with Instead evolutionary enhancements and behind-the-scenes system integration that transparent to users that are economical and easy to begin using, while maintaining all the advantages of the old: freedom of choice, flexibility, and adaption to existing methods.
Glossarydata processora general or special purposed containing means for input, output, datastorage, and capable of specific or programmable data manipulation (e.gcomputers from main frames to embedded microprocessorsGSETgoods, services, events and/or tasks; gouds may also be called: products oritemsKDEDa keyless/mouseless data entry device which is a computers or peripheraldevice capable of: 1) capturing data encoded or stored in a machinereadable symbology or device, or 2) receiving data input without use of akeyboard or mouse; however, some KDED's can keys or pointing devicesas a secondary or auxiliary means of capturing or receiving data, and mayhave a display for user feedback, prompts, etc.;Buyerrefers to one or more people or companies buying goods or services andanyone using this dPASS invention;Sellerrefers to people or companies selling or delivering good or services, orarranging for their sale or delivery;Manufacturer(mfg) refers to people or companies that manufacture goods or provideservices;Datarefers to unaltered data input to a data processor while ‘information’generally refers to one or more pieces of data that have been operated on,manipulated on, or transformed in some way by a data processor, often toarrange data in ways more meaningful to humans or other data processors,or to synthesize such data in less, but more meaningful information forsubsequent use by humans or other machines;Quick-Scans ™Pairs of human readable names and KDED readable identifiers for either1) frequently captured GSETs, or 2) GSETs lacking a KDED readableidentifier;Quick-Scan Cardrefer to some handy media containing Quick-Scans ™;TokenThe KDED readable portion of a GSET-token pair; by way of example,not by way of limitation, this token could be a barcode that uniquelyidentifies the manufacturer (mfg) of said GSET, a radio frequencyidentification tag (RFID), or a complex symbology or device whichcontains additional information such as the item's name, size, mfg, etc.Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of being consumer centered described above, several objects and advantages of the present personal automation and shopping system are:                (a) to provide an “incrementally adoptable”™ system that integrates the buyer/consumer, retailer/vendor, and manufacturer (i.e. the segments) into a synergistic supply chain where each gains optimal benefit without unfairly taking advantage of the other segments. A person or business can begin by using the most basic features for little cost, disruption to or change in current methods and then buy or begin using additional system capabilities as its benefits become more apparent and familiarity with the system grows;        (b) to provide greater buyer control of their interface with the supply chain;        (c) to provide an open supply chain where the consumer can more easily choose which seller, retailer or vendor to buy items from (i.e. as opposed to a closed system which ties the buyer to a single seller, retailer or retail chain); and        (d) to provide retailers the ability to offer the invention as a closed system—where the sellers pay the cost of the system or at least subsidize its cost—and the consumer in return, is tied or at least rewarded for using the retailer providing the system        